Pyrotechinc product and method of making the same



A. T. BERRY Get. 31, 1933 PYRO'I'ECHNIC PRODUCT AND METHOD OF MAKING THESAME Filed June 9, 1932 fliizfiffl y @MM 7 W uct, characterized ashereinafter stated, and in Patented Oct. 31, 1933 stares METHOD OF 3Claims. (01. 1102-30 This invention relates to a pyrotechnic productadapted to be applied to a fireplace fire, i. e. fuel burning in an openfireplace, and artificially color the fire.

The invention is embodied in an improved prodthe method of making thesame, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawing forming'a part of this specification,'-

Figure 1 shows in perspective an assembly of elements constituting myimproved product, and a box in which said elements are looselyassembled.

1 Figure 2 shows an assembly of said elements united to each other toform a mass adapted to be consumed as a unit. 7

Figure 3 shows in perspective, and much enlarged, a portion of a shredof commercial exicelsior which may constitute the combustiblecore of anelement of the product.

Figure 4 shows the element of Figure 3 incross section.

The same reference characters indicate the '1 same parts in all of thefigures.

In carrying out my invention I assemble a multiplicity of combustiblecores b, and a'semifluid adhesive paste, which includes a refractorycomminuted ingredient, a glow-emitting flamecoloring ingredient adaptedto color a fireplace fire, and an adhesive constituting a bindingingredient. I then agitate the assembly, preferably by placing it in arotary cement mixer and tumbling until the paste is deposited in theform of coatings c on the cores. The coatings are then solidified bydrying, preferably by spreading the coated cores on trays and subjectingthe coatings to a drying temperature.

Each core and its coating constitutes an ele- 9; ment of the improvedproduct.

are formed may be a mixture of ordinary com-' -mercial gelatine andwater, or liquid or semiliquid glue,- or' a solution of gumarabic.adhesive may be otherwise constituted.

Said

The refractory comminuted or powdered ingredient may be magnesiumsilicate, (talc) or calcium sulphate, (native gypsum); orcalcium" Anyother suitable comminuted macarbonate. terial or materials maybeemployed;

The glow-emitting ingredient may include 'co'pper chloride and coppersulfate, with or without-'- the saltsof other'mineral-found'jin seawater, such as sodium, potassium and magnesiumyall preferably inpowdered or comminuted form.

Any other suitable material or materials, either comminuted, or insolution, may be employed.

In making the paste the ingredients thereof are intimately mixed.

The refractory ingredient and the glow-emitting ingredient are held bythe binding ingredient diffused through the coating. The refractoryingredient is not aifected by ordinary fireplace heat, and crumbles awaywhile the glow-emitting ingredient, the core and the binding ingredientare being consumed.

When the. product is applied to an open fire, the refractoryingredientretards the combustion of the bindingingredient and the glow-emission bythe coloring ingredient, and also retardsthe combustion of the core, sothat the flame-coloring efiect is more protracted than would be the caseif an uncoated combustible core were treated only with a coloringchemical, or if only a comminuted glow-emitting chemical were applied tothe fire.

The elements of my. improved product may be assembled and adhesivelyunited to eachother to form a mass as shown by Figure 2, the mass beingof suitable size to bedeposited on'a relatively small area of afireplace fire, and consumed as a unit, a protracted localized coloringbeing the result. 1

v Shredded wood, whose shreds constitute what is known as excelsior, isthe best material of which I am aware for the elements hereinbeforecalled the cores.

My pyrotechnic product preferably includes an assemblage of elongatedcombustible shreds, these being flexible shreds of excelsior, eachhaving the described coating 0. When the shreds are flexed by the actionof heat, or otherwise, they cause rupture of the coatings c, the latterbeing frangible, whereby simultaneous combustion of \the shreds and ofthe combustible ingredients of the coatings c is permitted, so thatduring combustion color is emitted simultaneously from the internal andexternal surfaces of the coatings, the intensity of the emitted colorbeing greater than SOT iii

would be the case if combustion occurred only on, and progressed onlyinwardly from the external surfaces of the coatings.

Another advantage of the elongated flexible shreds is found in the factthat when a multiplicity of uncoated shreds, and a suitable quantity ofthe described semi-fluid paste are assembled in a rotary cement mixerand1tumbIed-,;the paste forms the: coatings, c on. the shreds,,andidetachr, ments of the coated shreds are automatically segregatedand accumulated by the tumbling operation to form approximately globularmasses? or balls, eachsuch as that shown by Figure 2, the number of suchmasses depending 'onthe' number of shreds tumbled. These masses'may'bwmarketed enclosed in a box.

What is claimed is, r 1. A pyrotechnic product composed ofan'assemblageof elongated combustible shreds inde--- pendent of each other, eachhaving a coating adhering,,thereto,-,- eachcoating; including a comebustible fiame-scolori-ng ingredient,=,a combustible binding ineredient,and a :comminuted refractory combustion-retandmg.- ;ingredient, ,the.-shreds. be-: ing fiexible and,- .-th,e;,--coating's- -fran .ble..-so-;that-1 the coatings are erupturable-eby flexure; of the; shreds topermit.-.simu1taneouscombustion of they shreds .andeofthereombustiblaingreclientsz ofthe coatings, so ,that, during-combustion; color: is, emittedrsimultaneouslg ,f romtherinternal andexe ternah sunfaces ;-of..-the:co.atings.

are

2. As an article of manufacture, a pyrotechnic product composed of amultiplicity of elements, each including a combustible core and acoating covering and adhering to the core, said coating including arefractory comminuted ingredient, a glow-emitting flame-coloringingredient, and an adhesive constituting a binding ingredient, saidingredients being intimately mixed, the refractoryingredientretardingthe combustion of the. hinder, the glow emission bythe coloring ingredient, and the combustion of the core, when saidprodnot is applied to a fireplace fire, so that the flame coloringeffect is prolonged, said elements being assembled-toform a mass inwhich the elements adhere -to-each other, the, mass being of suitablesizettosbeedepositedon a fireplace fire, and consumed as a unit. I I

3." That improvement in the method of making a pyrotechnic product:which consists in assembling a multiplicity of elongated flexiblecombustible, sshreds and a; semi-fluid adhesive epaste sineluding; acombustible.1flameecoloringingredient;A.

a combustible binding; ingredientand-a:refractory' comminutedcombustion-retarding ingredi'ent;;. tumbling the assembly until thepaste.- forms coatings ontheshreds,anddetachmentsof the coated;

shreds? are :segrgegatedi; and; assembled to s; f ormz;

globular masses, and th ALTI-IEA: r: BERRXQ:

